┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ 𝓘𝓷 𝓪 𝓢𝓮𝓪 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 ˚｡➶˚┊

"You're doing what?"

Park couldn't stop his jaw from dropping as the leaders of the rebellion explained their plan to him. Hoseok was hiding behind Y/n while Jungkook was arranging the weapons. Jin was more worried about if his hair was in the right position, and Taehyung seemed to be moral support for the rest of them.

"We're breaking into the Emperor's Tower. The Tower has a similar layout to the castle," Y/n said, pushing the map forward. They were in the tent they thought they hid from him. It was emptier than usual.

"I don't see what you gain from this."

"Prisoners. Your Emperor doesn't take too many prisoners, but the few he does take are vital to our operation. There are people in there who we can't leave," she said.

Hoseok bit on his nails. "Seulgi. Jackson. Baekhyun."

"That's without mentioning how much information could be there. You're the Emperor's puppet, you have to know how much is there. It's valuable to the rebellion," Y/n said, Park narrowing his eyes.

"You're risking your lives for the chance that your friends are alive. For the chance that you can find valuable information. It doesn't make any sense."

"If our friends are dead and there's no juicy gossip we can get, then we still have the last part of the plan," Jungkook said, picking up a belt from his pile of weapons. He dangled it around with a bunny-like smile. "Blow it to hell."

"Destroying the Tower? That's your master plan?"

"The way I see it, we have three options: attack the Tower, attack the castle, or do nothing. Which would you prefer, Commander?" Y/n asked, shoving as much venom as she could into the sentence.

"Listen princess, it's not my fault this rebellion is underprepared. If I'm going to help you, I need full confidence these plans will work."

"It'll work," Taehyung interrupted, speaking before Park and Y/n could go for each other's throats. "We have three weeks until we travel to the Tower. Whatever problems you have with our plan, you have time to tell us so we can sort it out. Destroying the Tower would revamp the rebellion movement. The people would see us as freedom fighters, not some small club that's in way over their heads. We haven't made any moves in months. It's time we change that."

"I need to think," Park mumbled, stepping out of the tent and letting the breeze brush by him. He stormed away from the entrance, leaning against one of the nearest trees. He had been so sheltered he didn't recognize what tree it was. It didn't occur to him how little he knew about the world until he started hanging around the rebellion more.

Joining the rebellion was a rash decision on Park's end. He realized he was risking his life. It had been three weeks since he started running with them, but not much had happened. Rebellions didn't form overnight, after all. Park wondered if he made the right decision, but it was far too late to turn back now. Now, the rebellion could destroy his life. One anonymous tip to the Emperor saying "Commander Park joined us" could end him. Whether he liked his decision or not, Park was stuck.

"You don't seem happy," said a male voice. He recognized it as Jung Hoseok's, the man stopping by Park's side. "Y/n would argue you never look happy, but you seem even worse than usual."

"I've slaughtered your people with a smile on my face, but you still want to see if I'm okay?"

"Honestly, I don't care," Hoseok said. Park appreciated the candor. "We have a mission coming up, and I want you on the team. You're part of my rebellion now. I may not care, but I don't want to see you die. You're an asset."

"This 'asset' has called your people Nösairs."

"Slurs don't bother me anymore," Hoseok replied with a shrug. "I've certainly been called worse."

Park let it go quiet. The wind strolled by, and he was amazed it wasn't raining. There were Mimos above them, but they had nothing to mimic, so it was still silent. For once, Park could see people in the distance. People from the town. Normally they were locked inside their homes, not bothering to come out. That made the trip into town much easier, but just to be safe, Park made sure to loop through the forests to ensure no one would see him. As he said: just one anonymous tip could ruin his life.

"I watched my husband die," Hoseok said, Park going stiff at that. "It's weird, saying it out loud. I promised him I'd keep him safe. I didn't. We all make promises, but at the end of the day, the only one who determines if we keep them or not is the Emperor. The Emperor took away my husband."

Park's lower lip quivered. "I killed him, didn't I?"

"Right in front of me."

"Why would you still accept me? Why would you let me in?"

"It's selfish," Hoseok said, kicking at the dirt. Park glanced at Hoseok's attire, noticing the jacket that covered most of his skin. Still, he could see a chain on Hoseok's neck. "I thought you'd kill us. More specifically, me. I wanted you to."

"If this plan fails, you'll get your wish."

"And what's yours?" At Park's head tilt, Hoseok met his eyes. "Your wish. If you could have anything in New Theon, what would you have?"

"I want to find a purpose." Park paused to click his tongue. "Something other than being the Emperor's favorite slave. Actually, I don't think I'm his favorite." It went quiet for a beat to long, and Park chuckled. "Funny. I've never told anyone that before."

"Have you ever had someone to tell?"

The lack of an answer was an answer. Still, Park felt the need to say something. "I'm amazed you haven't kicked me out yet. I choked your second-in-command."

"She smiled, didn't she?"

Park laughed before he could stop himself. He contained it a second later, cursing at himself for letting out a noise like that. "For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry about your husband."

"I don't need to see your past to know none of this was your choice. It's the only reason you even considered joining us, right?" Park kept his mouth shut. "You're a terrible person, Commander. Whether it was your choice or not doesn't change that you slit my husband's throat with a smile on your face. But right now, the rebellion needs terrible people. People willing to go to the extreme to save New Theon."

"Are there any good people left?" Park asked in a mutter, rubbing his stub over the hilt of his sword. Hoseok shoved his hands in his pockets, giving Park one last glance.

"I don't know."

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚˚｡➶˚┊

Park couldn't believe his ears.

"The Emperor's Flagship is blocking us from taking a straight shot between New Theon and his castle," Y/n said, placing her finger on the map to draw an imaginary line. "That means we need to take a ship and go around Mount Moros. We'll depart from the top of the Rocklands. Trying to go around from here is too risky, we don't know if the Flagship will see us or not."

"That trip will take days," Park replied. "If I'm gone for that long, the Emperor will connect the dots. Even if he doesn't kill me, you'll still lose the double-agent privileges. They can't find out I'm working for you."

"You're not coming," Jungkook said, Park freezing at that. Before he could reply, Jungkook held up his hand. "We have three sieges planned, this is the first of them. We need you to go to the Emperor's hotel in the City. Scout it, get blueprints, get maps, find weak spots. If our intel is correct, and I hope it is since I got it myself, the Emperor stays in that hotel once a year for the annual summit. We have three months until the summit, so while we're sieging the Tower, you get the intel on the hotel so we can keep planning our next attack. We have an outline, but with inside eyes, we'll be able to identify entrances and exits. A better escape plan."

"Escaping the City is suicide. Summit season brings out all the guards."

"Then find a weak point. You lead them. If you can't find a weak point, make one. We can have other members of the rebellion attack one side of the City to cause a distraction while we escape. How does that sound?"

"Better, but it's not foolproof," Park said, turning his attention back to the siege at hand. "Let's look over the plan again. While you guys go to the Tower, I go to the hotel and investigate. You're looping around Mount Moros to avoid the Emperor's Flagship, but that journey leaves you wide open to attacks in the Rocklands. Aren't there Vintars in the Rocklands?"

"Yes," Y/n replied in a murmur. "We need to move fast. We're hoping to travel the Rocklands in a day at most, then the sea should take us a day and a half. We have rebellion members going through the Rocklands now to go set up the ship. They'll hopefully clear out a bunch of creatures we'd rather not fight."

"So what, your own members are like bait?"

"They suggested it. They didn't want the leaders of the rebellion to be in more danger than necessary."

Park shrugged it off. As he glanced around the tent, he realized just how small the rebellion was. He could end the rebellion in two sword strokes, yet he didn't. He wondered why. It was the easy way out; he'd live the rest of his life with his Emperor, maybe gaining more favor since he wiped out the rebellion. Part of Park wanted to believe the Emperor cared about him. Deep down, he knew that part was wrong.

"All of you are going? Isn't that a bad idea? What if one of you die?"

"It's the price of war," Taehyung said, then, he dipped his head toward Jin. "But no, not all of us are going. Jin's staying behind. He's our ambassador, we need him here."

At Park's confusion, Hoseok spoke up. "He's the face of our rebellion. He does all the promotional work. We can't have a rebellion if no one knows about it. Why do you think Jin doesn't even have a room in the house? This is his home. No going outside, otherwise someone might rat him out. Not like it matters too much, the town is mostly rebellion territory. It's the City I worry about."

"That's why I won't be going to the hotel either," Jin clarified, Park slowly nodding at that.

"Our team is us," Y/n said, pointing to herself, Hoseok, Jungkook, and Taehyung. "And two other members. One is named Rosita, the other is named Emmet. The ship doesn't have enough room for much more. The smaller the ship, the harder it is to see."

"And the more likely it gets taken out by a rogue wave."

"Are they common?" Y/n asked, Park snorting at that.

"As if the Emperor lets me out of the castle enough to know the answer to that. If you get bad weather, you're screwed."

"Not necessarily," Taehyung said. "When I was younger, my father took me sailing all the time. Back then, we never saw any rogue waves. If I could sail a ship as a kid, I can do it now as an adult. We don't have much choice. The Tower needs to go."

"I'll make promotions and send it to every hologram in New Theon," Jin said, Taehyung agreeing. "As soon as the Tower is destroyed, the rebellion will grow. The promotions do the trick, I promise."

"And if something goes wrong?"

"We have backup plans to our backup plans," Jungkook said. "We aren't going in defenseless. Once we get through the Rocklands and make it to the Tower, we're placing charges on the right flank." Jungkook paused to point to it on the map. "That's near the main staircase. We'll place charges all around the stairs, get our friends out, search for information, then blow the place as soon as we're out. If that doesn't work, then we have these."

Y/n grabbed a box from off the ground, showing off the devices inside. They were wrist gauntlets with a digital screen. For now, the screen was dark, deactivated. Still, Park found himself intrigued.

"These are voice activated. In the event we're captured, we say the password and the whole place blows. It also detects our heartbeat. If half of us are killed, the place blows. It's risky, but it guarantees the Tower will suffer," Jungkook explained.

"Not bad," Park whispered, Y/n cracking a smile at that.

"We've been planning this for a long time. Yes, the rebellion is smaller than it was before, but we've also been hiding and planning. That's a big reason why you haven't heard from us, Commander."

"Glad to hear you're not totally incompetent. Still, my guards are highly trained. The ones at the Tower were trained by me personally."

"We appreciate the warning, but we've trained for years too. We've been training since our childhoods to bring down the Emperor. Ever since our parents died, we've been in this fight," Y/n said, and the rest of them agreed. It was strange, really. Park had never been around so many who lost the same thing he did: parents.

"Do you really think you can do this?" Park asked. As much as Park didn't care much for the rebellion leaders, he had to admit it'd be a shame if they died already. Although he knew it was for selfish purposes. He wouldn't be upset because people died; he'd be devastated because his one chance at freedom was ripped from him only a few weeks after he tried to get it. Still, Y/n's determined gaze had his heart stirring with emotions he had never felt before.

"I know we can."

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚˚｡➶˚┊

"You're back!"

Park grunted as Jihyun slammed into him. Park chuckled and ruffled the young boy's hair, causing it to frizz up. The walls of his room were concrete like Park's. Unlike Park's room, Jihyun's didn't have shackles. Or blood stains. Or guards posted outside.

"I always come back, don't I?" Park asked, taking Jihyun's hand and bringing him to the bed. Park bounced on the mattress. As expected, it was softer than his.

"Did you like the City? Were the people nice?" Jihyun asked with his eyes bright. There were no wrinkles on his face, no bags, no acne. Just a teenage boy, eager to hear all about Park's travels.

"Well, the people were scared. There was a giant Bassa terrorizing them." Park paused, creeping a bit closer to his younger brother. "And right when they thought they were safe... BAM!" Park tickled Jihyun, the boy bursting with laughter and collapsing in Park's arms. He didn't let up; he tickled the boy and made dramatic sound effects, some of them sword noises, others the roar of a Bassa. "The Bassa charged, but you know your big bro."

A Bassa

"You were faster!" Jihyun said in a cheer, still recovering from the tickle attack.

"I was faster!" Park made more 'swoosh' sound effects, acting it out with his hands before grinning. "I took that beast down and saved the City!"

Jihyun laughed and rested his head on Park's shoulder, the door across from them having a tiny window near the top that allowed them to see outside. No one was out there, as far as Park could tell.

"Will I get to be a hero like you?" Jihyun asked, yawning after.

Park wrapped an arm around Jihyun, rubbing his lips together and forcing his tears to stay where they were. "No. You'll be even better, kiddo."

Jihyun never had a chance to grow up. Despite nearing adulthood, Jihyun acted like a kid. Their parents died when Jihyun was too young to comprehend the concept of death. To this day, Jihyun still didn't understand what Park meant when he said they "weren't coming back." Park was only a kid himself when it happened, which meant he wasn't qualified for raising Jihyun. However, he was old enough to know how to bargain. He bargained with the Emperor to spare Jihyun if it meant Park would do whatever he wanted. For all the Emperor's faults, when he said he would do something, he did do it. He kept Jihyun safe, but at the cost of Park. Park didn't regret it.

"When will we get out of here?" Jihyun asked, his eyes shut. Park managed to make his tears retreat, so he cleared his throat to remove any cracks from his voice.

"Soon. I promise."

"You said that last month."

"I know. I'm working on it. With Moros attacking and the rebellion growing, it's not safe. But hey, I'll make it up to you, okay? As soon as we're out, I'm taking you on vacation to the Islands. How does that sound?"

"Yes!" Jihyun snapped up and tackled Park in a hug. He laughed and hugged his little brother back. Jihyun and Park were nearly identical, only Jihyun had much more youth to him. After all, they were ten years apart. His hair wasn't as long, too. Park's was nearing a mullet at this point. Jihyun always volunteered to cut Park's hair, which was why it was so jagged. Park didn't mind.

"Tell you what, kiddo. We'll even go to the City and hunt some Bassas. What do you think?"

Before he could reply, the door snapped open, and Park immediately stood at attention. Jihyun did too, but he was slower, his shoulders not as tense as Park's. Emperor Donovan was there, a mask covering the lower half of his face as his elegant robes hid his frame. They were black mixed with a crimson red, the color palette making him stand out in the otherwise bland castle.

"Commander," Emperor Donovan said, two guards behind him. "Come with me. We need to talk."

Park swallowed what he could, placing a hand on Jihyun's shoulder. "I'll see you soon, okay? I'll tell you more about the Bassa later." Jihyun agreed, Park following the Emperor out of the room.

The door shut, the guards crowding around him as they guided him to Park's room. It was on the other side of the castle, far away from Jihyun's. As far away as they could get. It was Park's request. He didn't want to risk Jihyun hearing.

When they entered, the guards were quick to do the routine. Park's cloak came off, as did all the gear on his upper body. They left his pants on, but they took off the belt, ridding him of his sword. They forced him to turn around, chaining him to the wall with his bare chest pressed against the cool concrete. He placed his forehead on it, bringing the chain to his mouth and biting down on it.

"Leave us," Emperor Donovan said. The door shut seconds later. Park closed his eyes, praying his legs weren't shaking. "I told you no more than three hours. It's been six." Park dropped the chain from his mouth to reply, but he knew it wouldn't matter.

"I'm sorry," Park replied, his voice trembling as it passed his chapped lips. "Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. T-There was a Bassa-"

"In the City? Funny, my guards told me today was peaceful." He heard the Emperor come closer. He could hear the chain whip dancing across the floor. "Jimin," Emperor Donovan said in a mocking tone. That caused the tears to fall. 'Don't call me that, please don't,' Park begged in his mind, his body shuddering.

"I'm sorry, it was an accident, I swear. Please-"

But the pain came anyway.

Park couldn't hold back his sobs and wails, his hands clawing at the concrete before him. His back hollered out, pleading for it to end, but Park knew it was only the beginning.

"You're the same pathetic boy you were when I saved you from your parents, Jimin," Emperor Donovan said, Park heaving. His lungs didn't accept the air. "If you ever want to give Jihyun that life you promised him, maybe you should listen." Park knew no words could change his fate. So, he bit down on the chain as the moisture flooded his face, dripping off his chin and onto the floor. As the next one came, Park fell into his thoughts.

It was the only place he was safe.

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ 𝓘𝓷 𝓪 𝓢𝓮𝓪 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 ˚｡➶˚┊

I'm sorry about the ending, but y'know we're a few chaps in so we gotta start revealing Jimin's past. I hope you still enjoyed it, and remember to vote/comment for more, and follow if you enjoy my content! Thanks for reading!